The life and times of Dr John Dee

(1584-09-02 to 1584-09-03)

Monday, Septembris 3. Mane. † Pragæ. Δ. Nota. Sathane aſtutum e violentum Stratagema. Δ. There was a great diſquietneſſe in E. K. being come home from our Hoſts houſe, where he had lyen all night upon a form : by reaſon he had been (which he never was the like afore, as he ſaid ) with wine overcome ſuddenly : yet intending with himſelf to take heed of being overſhot in drinking of wine : being requeſted by the Hoſtes to give her a quart of wine upon the good bargain he had in a Clock he bought of her for five Suckats : In this company of drinking was Alexander, the Lord Laſkie his ſervant, who came with us to Prage. Unto whom E. K. ( when the drink on the ſudden had overcome him) ſaid he would cut off his head, and with his walking ſtaffe did touch him fair, and ſoftly on the neck , ſitting before him : This Alexander being half drunken himſelf, by & by took thoſe words in great ſnuffe, and went to defend himſelf, and ſo took his weapon to him, and therupon they cauſed Alexander to go down : It was ſupper time ; and I that night refrained to ſuppe, and ſo tarry- ing at my Lodging, and looking out, ſaw Alexander ſitting on the great ſtone gainſt our Lodging : I called to him, and told him that they were at ſupper : And he came over to me, and he had wept much ; he complained of E.K. his former words, and the touch of the ſtaffe, how it was againſt his credit to take that in good part , and ſpake many Souldiers terms of ſtout words, not worthy the recording. I, therupon went to our Hoſts houſe, and would un- derſtand the very truth ; and there I found E.K. faſt on ſleep on a form, moſt ſoundly : for which I was right ſorry : And yet better pleaſed to perceive the words of E.K. which ſo moved Alexander (being half drunken) to have been ſpoken by E.K. when wine , and not wit, bare rule : and ſo pleaded long time with Alexander, that of words ſpoken ſo as they were, no ſuch exact account was to be given to him, &c. And after two hours perſwaſion cauſed Alexander to go to bed in our Lodging, where he uſed to lye, For he would have gon out, to our fromer Inne, in thoſe raging half drunken pangs, he was in : which I thought not good. This Monday morning E.K. coming home, and ſeeing Alexander, as he came in ; he ſaid, they tell I ſhould have ſpoken words, which greatly offended thee yeſternight , and that I touched thee with my ſtaff, &c. I know nothing of it, and ſhoke hands friendly with Alex- ander. Well ſaith Alexander, Si fuiſſet alius, &c. E. K. came up to me : I told him how ſorry I was for this miſchance, and told him of the Watchmen perceiving Alexander his diſ- quiet mind, and hearing his words, they came to me and charged me to have a care of the peace keeping (as they did indeed) And farther ſaid, that Alexander in his rage, ſaid, that rather, or before, he ſhould cut off his head, that he would cut E.K. in pieces. So ſoon as I had expreſſed that word of this drunken Alexander likewiſe, ( whom I now ſaw quiet, and E. K. alſo quiet ) ſuddenly E. K. fell into ſuch a rage, that he would be revenged of him for ſo ſaying, and for railing on him in the ſtreet, as he did, &c. Much a do I, Emericus, and his brother, had to ſtop or hold him from going to Alexander with his weapon, &c. At length we let him go in his dubblet and hoſe, without a cap or hat on his head : and into the ſtreet he haſted with his brothers Rapier drawn, and challenged Alexander to fight : But Alexander went from him, and ſaid. Nolo Domine Kelleie, Nolo. Hereupon E. K. took up a ſtone, and threw after him, as after a dog, and ſo came into the houſe again, in a moſt furious rage for that he might not fight with Alexander. The rage and fury was ſo great in words and geſtures, as might plainly prove, that the wicked enemy ſought either E. K. his own deſtroying of himſelf, or of me, or his brother, &c. This may ſuffice to notifie the mighty temptation and vehement working of the ſubtile ſpi- ritual enemy Satan, wherewith God ſuffered E. K. to be tempted, and almoſt overcome : to my great grief, diſcomfort, and moſt great diſcredit : if it ſhould (as the truth was) have come to the Emperours underſtanding, except he had known me well, &c. I was in great doubt, how God would take this offence, and deviſed with my ſelf how I might, with honeſty, be cleared from the ſhame and danger that might ariſe if theſe two ſhould fight, &c. At the leaſt it would croſſe all good hope here with the Emperour, &c. for a time, till God redreſ- ſed it. After I had brought E.K. to ſome quietneſſe, ( by yeilding much to his humour, &c.and ſaying little : ) not long after, came my meſager from my wife at Cracovia : and Hugh my ſervant with him, to my great comfort through her letters , and the full ſatiſfying of me by Hugh my ſervant his knowledge farther than conveniently could be written.